“The result ofsisterlyscheming,” Opal informed her. “None of this secretive rubbish. Just me straight up ordering my little brother to go on a mini break for his birthday.”
“Thatworks?” Abigail asked, mock-astonished. “Just telling him things?”
“Well?” Opal asked him.
A grin spread across Jasper’s face. “Yes,” he said. “It works.”
11
Abigail
Abigail was fuzzy with food and drink and the exhaustion of a long, amazing day, but couldn’t even think about sleeping. She couldn’t drag her eyes off her husband long enough to blink, let alone nap.
Opal and Hank had all but pushed them out of their home after they gave Jasper his birthday present: a night at one of the vacation cottages farther along the valley. Quiet, and remote, and just for the two of them.
They were there now. If Abigail had been capable of looking anywhere but at Jasper, she was sure she would have exclaimed over how adorable it was. She knew what these cottages were like: cozy and quaint and perfect.
But she didn’t need to look to know how perfect this was.
“Our friends and your sister got together to do this for us?” she asked as they walked up to the cottage.
“They did.”
“Thosefiends.Don’t they know they’re meant to plan and scheme things like this?”
“I mean, this was definitely a scheme.”
“Just one that worked?”
“Yourscheme worked.” Jasper unlocked the front door. The room beyond was warm, the air scented with a hint of cinnamon. “You got me to stop stressing out about making Christmas the biggest and best ever.”
“Barely. At the last possible minute. Anyway, so did yours. Because I don’t know if you noticed, but we just had the best Christmas ever.”
“Did we?” He frowned adorably. “Because I feel like Christmas isn’t over yet.”
“It’s your birthday now.” She tugged him down for a kiss.
“Ohhh,” he murmured against her lips. “I see. And this is happy birthday for me?”
“Yes,” she said firmly. “And—”
Jasper pressed a finger against his lips. “I already know what I want for my birthday,” he said, and kneeled in front of her.
She laughed with surprise. “We haven’t even closed the door!”
“Close it, then,” he retorted, his voice muffled.
She scrambled to shut the door behind them and he wasted no time pushing her against it. She was wearing her outdoor clothes—and then she wasn’t, with a speed that made her wonder if Jasper had developed new magical powers.
“Shouldn’t we find the bedroom—”
“All in good time.”
He pulled her shoes off, then her pants and underwear, and buried his face between her legs. Her knees almost gave out. He huffed amusement and kissed her clit.
Sensation jolted through her. “Jasper!”
“I remember someone asking me to let them enjoy themselves the way they wanted.” He looked up at her, and the sight of his eyes dark with lust and love stole all the breath from her lungs. “Won’t you let me have my turn now?”
